Project Report
| Nov 2, 2021
Sophie Visits Hope Center Clinic + New Storytelling Cloth
By Julia Nemy | GAIA Vaccine Foundation Project Manager
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In October, GAIA Vaccine Foundation co-chair of the board, Sophie Sprecht traveled to Mali to meet with GAIA VF partners and check in on current projects. Sophie spent a week in Bamako where she visited Hope Center Clinic, met with key personnel, and attended a meeting at the United States Embassy of Bamako.
With the recent launch of Corona Kélé, GAIA VF's newest research project on vaccine confidence sponsored by Merck's Investigator Studies Program, Sophie met with community healthcare workers. She was also able to see the newest storytelling cloth in person, which visually depicts how COVID-19 is transmitted and is used as a teaching tool in the Corona Kélé campaign.
Hope Center Clinic continues to prepare against COVID-19 and support Sikoro community members through education on the virus. Donate Hope Center Clinic today through GlobalGiving so that we can continue to provide PPE and support Malians during the pandemic.
Thank you for your support to GAIA Vaccine Foundation!
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Sep 24, 2021
GAIA Vaccine Foundation Kicks Off "Corona Kele"
By Julia Nemy | GAIA VF Project Manager
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GAIA Vaccine Foundation is thrilled to announce the official start of our latest project, "Corona Kèlè". Supported through Merck's Investigator Studies Program, the project will assess vaccine confidence at the community level and among healthcare workers in both urban and rural areas of Mali.
The study will include both community outreach and professional development workshops for healthcare workers about COVID-19 vaccination as well as childhood vaccines and the HPV vaccine. GAIA VF will use data from surveys to examine the causes of vaccine hesitancy and report to the Malian government about effective vaccination campaign strategies.
A new "storytelling cloth" or "pagne qui parle" has been designed to visually illustrate how COVID-19 is spread and how it can be prevented (hand washing, social distancing, mask wearing). Per the West African tradition of conveying messages through textiles, GAIA VF has harnessed this tradition to convey publica health messaging. Displaying information visually is extremely important in Mali where literarcy is extremely low. Only 35% of Malians are considered literate, and this statistic drops to only 25% among Malian women (even lower in rural areas). The cloth will be used as a teaching aid throughout the campaign and worn by healthcare workers.
On September 1, 2021, the project kicked off with an inaugural event in Bamako. Communications consultant, Nana Haidara and GAIA VF Director and Study Coordinator, Dr. Karamoko Tounkara provided opening remarks on the importance of the project. Former Malian Minister of Health, Dr. Fanta Sibly discussed the current problem of COVID-19 vaccination in Mali. Rural Site Coordinator, Dr. Amalle Daou Keita, spoke of the importance of community involvement in the fight against COVID-19. Dr. Ibrahima Teguete who is a Malian expert on HPV and cervical cancer, introduced the program's objectives.
A surveyor training was held on September 7 for 28 representatives of the 14 study sites by Dr. Tounkara and Project Assistant Mamadou Coulibaly. On September 9, an initial training for outreach workers was held at the ASACOBA clinic. "We went over questions, explained the study, how to approach people, how to complete consent forms, how to code what links the study-center and patient...a real enthusiasm for the study was expressed by the participants", Dr. Tounkara reported.
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Aug 13, 2021
August Update on COVID in Mali
By Grace DeCost | GAIA VF Volunteer
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As the Delta variant continues to spread worldwide, there has been a reported increase in COVID-19 cases in Mali. Reports show an average increase of 8 new cases a day (though testing remains low). In total, there have been 14,647 confirmed cases and 534 deaths. However, good news has been reported. On August 5, 2021, Mali received 151,200 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine from the United States and has plans to start a vaccination campaign soon. In total, about 0.44% of the population in Mali is currently vaccinated.
With the upward spread of COVID-19 infections, having the tools and supplies to continue the combat of the pandemic is essential. GAIA Vaccine Foundation’s campaign for COVID-19 prevention supplies directly supports the clinics in Bamako, Mali. Your donation of just $25 funds masks to be distributed to our healthcare staff and community members.
Thank you for your support to GAIA VF!
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